Budget stay in Nijmegen

- We had over here one of your readers few weeks ago! - said Paul enthusiastically.

- What? How do you know? – I asked totally surprised.

-Well, there was this Polish guy, who came here to study. We were sitting once on a terrace talking, so we asked him why Nijmegen. And he said there’s this polish girl writing a blog,  who lives here. He simply liked what she wrote about the city. I don’t know how many Polish women are writing about Nijmegen, but I guess he meant you.  

It was such a cool feeling, to know that I encouraged someone to visit this city. I just sincerely hope he didn’t get disappointed. Now it’s time for the rest of you to come here, especially that since a few months it doesn’t have to be that expensive anymore. Some of you might have read about it already on our Facebook… Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m happy to present you the very first and only hostel in Nijmegen: Barbarossa!

When I met Maurice the plans of opening a hostel were already there. It is one of his friends who made this dream come true. I assume that most of you is familiar with the idea of a hostel. However, in case some lost soul wouldn´t know the difference  between this type of accommodation  and a hotel, here´s my quick explanation. A hostel  is a kind of a guest house. There´s no room service, no stiff receptionist. Instead you’ll find there a very laid-back, friendly ambience, equipped kitchen and living room and a cheerful, helpful staff. The rooms are usually multi-bedded dorms (in case of Barbarossa it’s one 5-person dorm), but often small private rooms as well (again, here there are two double/twin rooms). Bathrooms and toilets are also shared, but you have to remember that staying in a hostel it’s not about the luxury. It’s all about meeting new people, about this unique atmosphere and the feeling that you’re a traveller. And the most important thing: it’s much cheaper than in any average hotel or B&B. 

Though Barbarossa is located just in the centre of the city, it’s super quiet and calm in there. Hidden in a cute yard, surrounded with trees, will let you relax and make feel like home. At the same time it’s a perfect base for visiting Nijmegen. Super close to the Valkhof park (with cool festivals through the whole spring-summer season), the main square Grote Markt, the boulevard by the Waal river and many, many cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.

But what does actually set this place apart from other hostels and guest houses? The first thing you may notice is the original furniture in retro style. Second: it’s located in an over 160-year old building. In the close proximity there’re more building like that. Some of them are actually considered the local monuments. Third: a kind of artsy atmosphere. In the attic above, a few young artists have their atelier and you can often see them hanging out in the hostel’s kitchen or terrace with a cup of hot, black coffee. Even more, same often they greet the guests and check them in ;) 

The hostel is very young and is still improving. New elements shows up, others are getting changed or fixed. In the future it might get bigger. There are also plans to adapt the basement into a gallery. It’s already very cheerful there and a bit… vanguard, so if you’re planning to visit Nijmegen, don’t forget to check out this place!